List of famous writers from Japan, listed alphabetically with photos when available. Japan is home to many prolific writers, including those who write fiction, non-fiction, poetry, biographies and more. These are some of the best Japanese writers that have ever lived, so if you're a native of Japan and an aspiring writer then use this list as inspiration to achieve your own writing goals.
Examples of writers on this list include Hiroshi Teshigahara and Atsumu Ohmura.
This list answers the questions, "Who are popular Japanese writers?" and "Which writers are from Japan?"
You can click on the names of these renowned writers of Japan in order to get more information about each one. Some of these historic writers may no longer be living in Japan, but they're all of Japan descent.1
Haruki Murakami
Age: 71Birthplace: Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Kafka on the Shore, Norwegian Wood, After the Quake, Sputnik Sweetheart
Haruki Murakami (村上 春樹, Murakami Haruki, born January 12, 1949) is a Japanese writer. His... more on Wikipedia2
Kazuo Ishiguro
Age: 65Birthplace: Nagasaki, Japan
Nationality: United Kingdom, Japan, England
Works: Never Let Me Go, The Remains of the Day, The Saddest Music in the World, An Artist of the Floating World, The Unconsoled
Sir Kazuo Ishiguro (born 8 November 1954) is a British novelist, screenwriter, and... more on Wikipedia3
Kenzaburō Ōe
Age: 84Birthplace: Uchiko, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: The Game of Contemporaneity, Aghwee the Sky Monster, The Silent Cry, The Pinch Runner Memorandum, The Day He Himself Shall Wipe My Tears Away
Kenzaburō Ōe (大江 健三郎, Ōe Kenzaburō, born 31 January 1935) is a Japanese writer and a major... more on Wikipedia4
Yoji Yamada
Age: 88Birthplace: Osaka Prefecture, East Asia, Kansai region, Honshu, Toyonaka
Nationality: Japan
Works: The Twilight Samurai, Love and Honor, Castle of Sand, The Hidden Blade, About Her Brother
Yoji Yamada (山田 洋次, Yamada Yōji, born September 13, 1931 in Toyonaka, Osaka) is a Japanese... more on Wikipedia5
Hayao Miyazaki
Age: 78Birthplace: Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service
Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎 駿, Miyazaki Hayao, born January 5, 1941) is a Japanese animator, filmmaker,... more on Wikipedia6
Liv Ullmann
Age: 81Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Nationality: Japan, Norway
Works: Kristin Lavransdatter, Sofie, Briefe an mein Enkelkind. Großdruck, Wandlungen
Liv Johanne Ullmann (born 16 December 1938) is a Norwegian actress and film director. She was... more on Wikipedia7
Akira Kurosawa
Dec. at 88 (1910-1998)Birthplace: Shinagawa, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: Seven Samurai, Ran, Rashomon, Runaway Train, Yojimbo
Akira Kurosawa (Kyūjitai: 黒澤 明, Shinjitai: 黒沢 明 Kurosawa Akira; March 23, 1910 – September 6,... more on Wikipedia8
Yoko Ono
Age: 86Birthplace: East Asia, Tokyo, Asia, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: Bottoms, Fly, Two Virgins, Freedom, No. 5
Yoko Ono (born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese-American multimedia artist, singer, songwriter... more on Wikipedia
9Kōichi Mashimo
Age: 67Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: The Weathering Continent
Kōichi Mashimo (真下 耕一, Mashimo Kōichi, sometimes credited as Kouchi Mashimo or Kouichi... more on Wikipedia10
Takeshi Kitano
Age: 72Birthplace: Adachi, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: Fireworks, Outrage, Sonatine, Zatōichi, Nandalala
Takeshi Kitano (北野 武, Kitano Takeshi, born 18 January 1947) is a Japanese comedian, television... more on Wikipedia11
Mitsuo Fukuda
Age: 59Birthplace: Tochigi Prefecture, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: Reliability and degradation of semiconductor lasers and LEDs, Optical semiconductor devices
Mitsuo Fukuda (福田 己津央, Fukuda Mitsuo, 福田 満夫 before 1990) (born November 28, 1960) is a... more on Wikipedia12
Takashi Miike
Age: 59Birthplace: Yao, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: The Great Yokai War, Sukiyaki Western Django, Lesson of the Evil
Takashi Miike (三池 崇史, Miike Takashi, born August 24, 1960) is a Japanese filmmaker. He has... more on Wikipedia13
Mamoru Oshii
Age: 68Birthplace: Ōta, Tokyo, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, Angel's Egg, The Red Spectacles, Rebellion: The Killing Isle
Mamoru Oshii (押井 守, Oshii Mamoru, born 8 August 1951) is a Japanese filmmaker, television... more on Wikipedia- 14
Tomoyuki Tanaka
Dec. at 87 (1910-1997)Birthplace: Kashiwara, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: Rebirth of Mothra, Rebirth of Mothra II, Mount Hakkoda
Tomoyuki Tanaka (田中 友幸, Tanaka Tomoyuki) was a Japanese film producer, most famous for... more on Wikipedia 15
Hideaki Anno
Age: 59Birthplace: Ube, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: The End of Evangelion, Evangelion 1.11: You Are (Not) Alone, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth, Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo
Hideaki Anno (庵野 秀明, Anno Hideaki, born May 22, 1960) is a Japanese animator, film director,... more on Wikipedia16
Osamu Dezaki
Dec. at 68 (1943-2011)Birthplace: Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: Black Jack: The Movie, Champion Joe
Osamu Dezaki (出﨑 統, Dezaki Osamu, November 18, 1943 – April 17, 2011), also known as Makura... more on Wikipedia17
Yukio Mishima
Dec. at 45 (1925-1970)Birthplace: Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: Thirst for Love, The Temple of Dawn, Patriotism, Enjō, The Sound of Waves
Yukio Mishima (三島 由紀夫, Mishima Yukio) is the pen name of Kimitake Hiraoka (平岡 公威, Hiraoka... more on Wikipedia18
Ann Hui
Age: 73Birthplace: Anshan, China
Nationality: Hong Kong, Republic of China
Works: Black Mask, The Postmodern Life of My Aunt, The Opium War, The Romance of Book and Sword, As Time Goes By
Ann Hui On-wah, MBE, BBS, (traditional Chinese: 許鞍華; simplified Chinese: 许鞍华; pinyin: Xǔ... more on Wikipedia19
Gisaburō Sugii
Age: 79Birthplace: Numazu, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, Guskō Budori no Denki
Gisaburō Sugii (杉井ギサブロー or 杉井儀三郎, Sugii Gisaburō, born August 20, 1940) is a Japanese anime... more on Wikipedia20
Kinji Fukasaku
Dec. at 73 (1930-2003)Birthplace: Mito, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: Virus, Shogun's Samurai, Samurai Reincarnation, Legend of the Eight Samurai, A Chaos of Flowers
Kinji Fukasaku (深作 欣二, Fukasaku Kinji, 3 July 1930 – 12 January 2003) was a Japanese film... more on Wikipedia21
Kon Ichikawa
Dec. at 93 (1915-2008)Birthplace: Ise, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: The Burmese Harp, Tokyo Olympiad, Odd Obsession, Galaxy Express 999, Dora-heita
Kon Ichikawa (市川 崑, Ichikawa Kon, November 20, 1915 – February 13, 2008) was a Japanese film... more on Wikipedia22
Noriko Sakai
Age: 48Birthplace: Fukuoka, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: Noripī rando, Noripīchan, Shokuzai
Noriko Sakai (酒井 法子, Sakai Noriko, born February 14, 1971) is a Japanese singer and actress.... more on Wikipedia23
Kenji Kawai
Age: 62Birthplace: Shinagawa, Japan
Nationality: Japan
Works: Mezame No Hakobune
Kenji Kawai (川井 憲次, Kawai Kenji, born April 23, 1957) is a Japanese music composer for motion... more on Wikipedia24
Kaneto Shindo
Dec. at 100 (1912-2012)Birthplace: Saeki District, Hiroshima
Nationality: Japan
Works: Edo Porn, Onibaba, Kuroneko, Hachiko Monogatari, Manji
Kaneto Shindo (新藤 兼人, Shindō Kaneto, April 22, 1912 – May 29, 2012) was a Japanese film... more on Wikipedia25
Frank Spotnitz
Age: 59Birthplace: Camp Zama, Japan
Nationality: United States of America, Japan
Works: The X-Files: I Want to Believe
Frank Spotnitz (born 17 November 1960) is an American television writer and executive... more on Wikipedia
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